Careers Programme

Measuring the Impact of the Careers Curriculum

• The school is using the ‘Compass evaluation tool’ to assess ongoing progress in relation to the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. 
• The school has a ‘Careers Plan’ in place to track progress in relation to this year's priorities and the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
• The ‘Careers Plan’ is reviewed termly.

The following steps are in place to evaluate the effectiveness of its careers programme each year.

The evaluation cycle involves:

1. Review of the objectives of the programme with a focus on outcomes for learners & assessing if the objectives have been met

2. Using feedback to adapting the programme to continuously improve it so it meets the objectives

The evaluation also involves looking at a range of evidence such as:

• Attainment
• Progress
• Options pathways
• Destinations data
• Feedback from students e.g. their understanding of different careers and pathways​

During your time at Kingsbury High School, you will progress through a varied scheme of classroom work, events, visits and activities to ensure that you are prepared and ready for the working world. The steps you take now will set you up for future success, so make the most of everything on offer to you!

Student Entitlement

Students in Years 7-11 are entitled:

1. To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point.
2. To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through assemblies and group discussions and taster events.
3. To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

CAREERS LEADER

You have a dedicated Careers Coordinator Manisha.Sanghani@kingsburyhigh.org.uk, a Careers lead in SLT jennifer.kincaid@kingsburyhigh.org.uk and connie.colli@kingsburyhigh.org.uk from Prospects to offer impartial and unbiased advice, all of whom are available to speak to or email if you have any questions and would like any careers advice!

Key Stage 3 – Years 7, 8 and 9

Through the careers programme and PSHE you will strengthen your skills and gain knowledge of different Career pathways, looking at how the curriculum relates to different Careers. Please see the Careers Curriculum Map delivered by Applied Learning Faculty for careers lessons These career lessons will develop your knowledge, skills and understanding of how to achieve your dream career, they allow for you to explore your interests and find out key information about different industries through the use of Unifrog. You will learn about the variety of different pathways available to you through events such as Year 9 Options evening, options assemblies and year 9 options EXCEL day. Assemblies and lessons teach you about post 16 options including Sixth Form, College, TLevels and Apprenticeships.

Key Stage 4 – Years 10 and 11

Through the careers programme KS4 focuses on Planning for Post 16 and beyond, students engage with Sixth Forms, Colleges and Apprenticeship Providers, students have Sixth Form and college interviews, they learn the differences and similarities between Sixth Form and colleges and they engage with professionals speaking about their careers. Careers is supported by individual subjects who link subject learning to careers with a particular focus on this during National Careers Week. Students are supported with their applications to Sixth Form and Colleges during the Year 11  EXCEL day.

For all students, an independent external and impartial Careers Adviser will be available for 1:1 appointments to discuss your ideas for your Post 16 plan.

More opportunities and events are sent out via Tylers and Kingsbury Newsletters and Kingsbury High Sixth Form Newsletters.

Sixth Form

Students in the sixth form are exposed to different industries through talks given by outside speakers. They are also taught about time management, organisation, and employability skills through PSHE programs implemented in the Sixth Form. In the spring and summer terms of Year 12, using the Unifrog platform, students explore various careers and the steps involved in reaching those goals. They are encouraged to take active steps, such as creating CVs, applying for apprenticeships, and researching university courses required to achieve their career goals.

One of the Excel days offered within the Sixth Form revolves around careers and involves students completing a mock centre assessment test, working on interview skills, and understanding what makes a successful CV and job application.

Career opportunities are regularly advertised on the Year 12 and Year 13 Google Classrooms. These opportunities allow students to experience specific industries through workplace visits or taster days.

A highlight of the careers program in the Sixth Form is a one-week work experience program. From the launch of the program, students are encouraged to apply for places and experience the reality of job hunting. While in-person work experience is encouraged, virtual experiences may be offered on some occasions due to the changing nature of working styles.

Overall, by the end of the Sixth Form, students have a clear idea of their next steps. With the support provided within the school, they are often confident to move on to the next stage, whether that be university, work, or an apprenticeship.

Evaluation of Programme and delivery

The careers programme will be reviewed on a termly basis, using the Gatsby Benchmarks. Service level agreements will be drawn up with key providers such as Shaw Trust to agree involvement, evaluation and impact of provision. 

The effectiveness and impact of this strategy and the career provision action plan will be based on the following evaluation methods

• Compass tool assessment.  Improvement against the Gatsby benchmarks. 
• Yearly feedback via student, parent/carer, teacher, employer/employee and SLT surveys.
• Regular review with SLT and Governors
• A yearly review of the careers programme and its effectiveness.

As staff, your role is to continue to provide dynamic and inspirational opportunities to bring careers learning both inside and outside of the classroom.  We are very lucky at Kingsbury High School to have a dedicated Careers Coordinator, Manisha Sanghani, manisha.sanghani@kingsburyhigh.org.uk who will answer any questions you may have, share opportunities and resources to help staff build careers into the curriculum.

Resources

National Apprenticeship Week

National Careers Week

Unifrog Careers resources

Careers and enterprise website

Success at school website

iCloud - careers videos

Young people today are living in a rapidly changing world and so preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities out there is a vital aspect of their education. Kingsbury High School is committed to developing and arming each individual student with the most up to date research and knowledge as they progress through the different key stages. A key element to aiding a students development is instilling the valuable ideals of responsibility and independence to forge their own paths forward. Working in partnership with parents, the Careers Department guides and supports students in an enthusiastic and professional relationship throughout their time at Kingsbury High School.

For support with helping your child make the right decision please see our Curriculum Overview,  Year 9 Option Pathways  and Sixth Form, Parents guide to choices, Parents guide to university and Parents guide to apprenticeships.

How can you help?

• Talk about careers regularly at home – the different jobs you may have had, how you decided on your current career path and what you have learned from all of your combined experiences.
• Share your CV and help them in producing their own. Going through the motions of detailing their skills, experiences and qualifications on paper can really help students to see their current development clearly.
• Run through typical interview questions and talk about your own encounters – both good and bad! Learning how to present themselves professionally and keeping a cool head in an interview situation is a valuable skill which will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
• Attend our events such as the annual Options Evening year 9 and Sixth Form Open Door event.
• Attend College and University Open Days to explore what different establishments have to offer. Prospectuses are always available but there’s nothing quite like walking around a campus to really get the feel of a place.
• Give us feedback! We are always looking to develop and evolve our careers education provision so please do get in contact if you have any comments or suggestions.
• Get directly involved yourself! If you work for an employer who would be willing to support our careers education providing, be that through presenting an assembly or to smaller groups of students, we would love to hear from you. 

If you have a child currently taking their GCSEs or A Levels, use our interactive online guides to help you understand what you can do to support your teen through the stress of exams.

These Parents' Guide to Homelife and study outline ways to support your child such as keeping them healthy, helping them revise, preparing for exams and managing exam nerves.

KS4 Parents' Guide to Home Learning and Studying 

KS5 Parents' Guide to Home Learning and Studying 

The support of our local community and alumni is key to the Careers Education that Kingsbury High School is able to provide. We are so lucky to have the backing of so many willing and enthusiastic employers, keen to get involved with our school calendar of activities every year. Sharing career experiences and providing opportunities to develop employability skills is invaluable to a young person’s progression and we cannot thank our existing partners enough.

Do you work in a business that could help provide work experience or opportunities for our students?

We are always looking for local businesses that are wanting to inspire and educate our students about the world of work and expand and develop our careers programme. If you think you could help us with practise interviews, talks/presentations to students, provide invaluable work experience or any other opportunities that give students the chance to develop core skills and motivation, please contact our Careers Lead – manisha.sanghani@kingsburyhigh.org.uk

If you’re an employer and are curious about how you could get involved, we would love to hear from you! There are many ways you could contribute to the Kingsbury High Schools community and we are always open to new ideas and opportunities.

Please get in touch!

Resources

Provider Access Policy 2023-24

"Working as an apprentice allows you to met a whole host of people that have relevant connections to your industry, both through the business itself as well as training and other apprentices. Developing relationships within the industry is a huge benefit and can prove useful when going forward with your career. Many industries are now seeking to hire bright and innovative students into the workplace and it’s important that we prepare Kingsbury High School students ready for this opportunity."

Marika Creeber, UCAS Coordinator

All students with an EHCP  receive direct support from SEND (Special Educational Needs), the TCR (Total Communication Resource) or EAL (English as an Additional Language).  The students receive  structured careers and transition support advice from Year 9 to 13.

We also work in close collaboration with the Brent Connexions Team, who are specialists in advising students in career pathways, and provide additional support. 

At KS4 Life Skills Teacher delivers additional units to support post-16 routes. We liaise with all parents of our EHCP students  and  during the annual reviews we discuss the best career options based on their interest and abilities.

All students in Years 7 to 13 are entitled:

• To find out about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships opportunities, as part of a careers programme which provides information on the full range of education and training options available at each transition point.
• To hear from a range of local providers about the opportunities they offer, including technical education and apprenticeships – through options events, assemblies and group discussions and taster events.
• To understand how to make applications for the full range of academic and technical courses.

Opportunities for access

The school offers a comprehensive Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) programme.

The school will make a suitable space available for discussions between the provider and students, as appropriate to the activity. The school will also make available ICT and other specialist equipment to support
provider presentations. This will all be discussed and agreed in advance of the visit with the Careers Advisor
or a member of their team.

Providers are welcome to leave a copy of their prospectus or other relevant course literature with the
Careers Advisor so that they can be displayed in the careers section of the school library.

Please click on the links below to view our Provider Access Policy and Application for Provider Access.

2023 Provider Access Policy

Application for Provider Access

What is Labour Market Information (LMI)?

LMI effectively describes the world of work – it ranges from descriptions of different careers, their entry routes, promotional prospects, salaries paid, skills and qualifications needed, etc.

Crucially for young people, LMI also covers future demand – what kinds of jobs will be in demand after leaving school and what kinds of skills will be needed. Our students should be able to have access to high-quality labour market information and earnings information, that will help them make decisions about their future

Learning from Careers and Labour Market Information

Understanding Labour Market Information (LMI) is becoming more and more important as the world of work continues to change at a rapid pace due to globalisation and technological advances. Students need to be aware of different job roles, what types of jobs will need more people in the future and the skills and knowledge that are needed by employers. 

LMI means finding out the following things about different job roles or career pathways:

• What do people actually do in this job / industry?

• How many people work in this job / industry?

• How much do people get paid in this job / industry?

• What qualifications do I need to do this job?

• What skills or qualities do I need to do this job?

• What are the typical working hours for this job?

• What percentage of men / women work in this job / industry?

• Where can this job / industry take me in the future?

• Where are these jobs located around the country?

• How many of these jobs will there be in the future?

LMI Bulletin

The Education Development Trust publishes a monthly Labour Market Bulletin. This will be published here every month to help you have more information supporting LMI.  

LMI Bulletin November 2023

LMI Bulletin October 2023

LMI Bulletin September 2023

Careerometer

Carreerometer can be used to explore and compare key information about occupations, help you learn about different occupations and identify potential careers. It provides access to a selection of UK headline data relating to pay, weekly hours of work and future employment prospects for different occupations, as well as description of the occupation.

How to use the Careerometer

Simply type in the title of the job you are interested in and you will be provided with a number of options from which you can select the most relevant to you.  You can then add your second and third choices to see the comparison. You can also select ‘display the UK average’ and compare the information with the occupation you have selected.

Careers Lead: Jennifer Kincaid

Email: jennifer.kincaid@kingsburyhigh.org.uk

Telephone:  020 8206 3000 Ext 276

Connexions Officer: Connie Colli

Email: connie.colli@kingsburyhigh.org.uk

Telephone: 020 8206 3000 Ext 137